A few weeks ago a man from Canada spoke briefly in the church and he talked about looking out his window and seeing the seeds in the fields that were planted in the spring is now in full bloom. Ever since, I have ponder what he said in my own heart. Everyday we plant seeds in our own lives and the lives of others. It is our choice what seeds we plant and what fruit we want to reap. Sometimes we plant the seed and we never get to see it grow and others we are able to see the fruit. Rarely do we see the results of our seeds over night, but depending on the conditions, sometimes we might see a glimpse of our seed peeking out through the dirt. Now I am no expert on farming by any means, but these basic principles of the earth and how God created it to work is a given that when we plant we reap. Whether we are there for the harvest or not.
For instance, as I walk to the store, there is a child on the street asking for money, well, if I buy him some bread I am planting a seed, I may never see this child again but I have to have faith that the bread I planted will produce good fruit. The beauty is that just this one loaf of bread can possibly produce fruit for many years to come.
One seed, many times, yields much fruit! A fruit tree, it yields fruit every season and more than one fruit. If it is well taken care of it will produce more and more fruit each year. Even if it is not taken care of, it usually continues to produce fruit. However, some who are not taken care of wither and die. One seed of corn, produces more than one corn on a stalk. One tomato seed produces many tomato's on a vine. So...Is this how it works in peoples lives too?
When the kids come to the Center we plant many good seeds, food, love, nurturing, hugs and kisses. We teach them to clean, to brush their teeth to take care of themselves in a good way! We plant the stories of the Bible in their hearts, we use it's stories to teach them about respect and love and so many other things. We stand in faith that these seeds are planted on good ground and will produce the same fruit in their own lives and the lives of their family and community. However, some kids go home and like the seeds planted in the parable of the Sower and the Soils, the conditions are open for the possibility for the seeds to be stolen.
"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams...Mark 4: 3-8
He continued, "Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.
"The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.
"And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
"The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.
"But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams." Mark 4: 13-20
Please stand in prayer and faith with us that the seeds we plant will be planted in the good earth and the people here will embrace it and it will produce a harvest beyond our, their wildest dreams! As a Pastor from Nigeria recently wrote and said, these are "Destiny Kids!" Kids and people with a destiny, a calling and a purpose to serve the King! To seed and reap fruit for generations to come! It is true one seed yields much fruit!
TOGETHER WE WILL PRODUCE A HARVEST BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS!
